The UK government said on Wednesday (12.05) that it was investing the equivalent of 25 million euros in helping vulnerable countries in Africa and the Pacific to build cybersecurity to prevent China, Russia and others from filling the “vacuum in cyberspace”.
British Foreign Secretary Dominique Robb said the UK investment would be used to support national cyber response groups, advise mass online security awareness campaigns and collaborate with Interpol to develop a new operational hub cybernetics in Africa.
The center will help combat cybercrime in fast-growing economies in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda, according to the Foreign Office.
Rob: “We must stop filling the vacuum of diversity”
Rob: “We must stop filling the vacuum of diversity”
Free cyberspace
Rob said the UK and its partners should take action to ensure that there is a free, open and peaceful cyberspace in the face of hostile nations seeking to undermine the democratic elections and turn the Internet into an illegal destination.
“For our positive view of cyberspace … for the benefit of all, we must win the hearts and minds of people around the world …” Rob told an online security conference.
“Obviously, we must also prevent China, Russia and other countries from filling the multilateral vacuum. That means we need to do more to support the poorest and most vulnerable countries, which are most at risk.”
Last month, the United Kingdom joined the United States, claiming that Russia’s foreign intelligence was responsible for hacking Solar Winds, affecting nine federal agencies and hundreds of private sector companies.
The United Kingdom wants to curb Russian influence in cyberspace
Emerging technologies
In April, a top UK Internet spy warned that the West needed to act urgently to ensure that China did not dominate key emerging technologies and gain control of the “global operating system.”
Rob said the United Kingdom investment will be used to support national cyber response groups, advise on mass online security awareness campaigns, and collaborate with Interpol to build a new Internet operations center in Africa.
The center will help fight cybercrime in fast-growing economies across Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda, the Foreign Office said.
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